You would expect the former secretary of state, on the day her inclusion as a member of the first College Football Playoff selection committee was made official, to be a veritable fountain of names, places, dates and facts.

After all, she's now been labeled as an official college football expert.

Rice did bolster her bona fides by referencing the 1966 Notre Dame-Michigan State game of the century, when the Fighting Irish settled for a tie, which created the kind of controversy in naming a national champion that resonates to this day, especially in this state.

The 1966 Alabama team finished with a perfect record, but the AP awarded its national title to Notre Dame, and UPI named Michigan State.

As Rice noted, "There were all kinds of issues about Notre Dame eventually being crowned as champion."

It was a nice, relevant historical reference, and whether intentional or not, it also could be seen as an example of her ability to be objective since she has a master's degree from Notre Dame.

Speaking of objectivity, committee spokesman Bill Hancock said this: "Committee members who are directly associated with an institution that's under consideration, a team that's under consideration, will be recused from any voting about that team and that discussion."

Arkansas AD Jeff Long, the committee chairman, tapped the brakes just a bit on that subject.

"Part of the work the committee will do is go through the process of how the recusal will work, what that association means and how deep that association goes," Long said.

It seems obvious that Rice wouldn't discuss or vote on Stanford, where she works. But the Birmingham native has stated publicly that she's an Alabama fan. Given that allegiance, will she be allowed to discuss and vote on the Crimson Tide?

No doubt a lot of coaches and officials from other schools want to know the answer to that question.

Her answer: "Well, I read a lot of them. The criteria that's already been talked about - particularly strength of schedule and head-to-head (results) - are very important. Since you don't have a single league where everyone plays off against each other, like in professional leagues, I think it's important to find surrogates for that, and strength of schedule among conferences will be a very important element."

Wait. What?

The Big 12 has 10 members and plays nine conference games. That means everyone in that league does play everyone else.